N-pcters



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFTOE.

JONA. READ, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

MACHINE FOR WASHING AND PRESSING CLOTHES.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 1,116, dated April 10, 1839.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JONATHAN READ, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invente'd a new and useful Washing- Machine and Clothes-Press; and I hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description.

The washing machine and clothes press may be made of any material of suitable dimension. In my machine the' frame A, B is made of stout plank an inch and a quarter thick as also the beaters, the beater arms and slideboards. On the inner side of each beater arm D is a segment of a cog wheelthe convex side downward. These are marked F. They are of iron and made to iit into a cog wheel marked G the teeth of which stand vertically on the upper disk of the wheel. The shaft of this wheel is marked H, Fig. 1. The' handles at top d, Fig. l and Fig. 6. The shaft of the wheel is connected with it by a nut M, Fig. 1. The handles d being vibrated horizontally the beater arms D which are hinged at X', Fig. l, are made to vibrate vertically, as seen in Fig. 2, the two always in opposite directions. The shaft H is kept in position by the beams X and N, Fig. 1. There are semicircular openings R, Fig. 2, made in the arms D to permit them to vibrate clear of the beam N. On the shaft H close beneath the beam X is a drum of wood marked K, Figs. 6 and l. There are two straps (Fig. l) on this drum on opposite sides of it, each passing through the upright support at the side over a pulley and down to a treadle LO, Fig. 6. The feet of the operator are placed upon the treadles and he is thus enabled to aid the motion of the hands upon the handles d.

The beaters are blocks of wood, of the shape represented in the drawing at O, Figs. 1 and 2. The face of each is fluted or beaded and made smooth. Tt is by the Inotion of these against the clothes, that the washing is performed.

The bottom of the washing trough is curved to the sweep of the beaters C. See in Fig. 2 the groove or channel in which the bottom is set, marked E2. At each end of the washing trough is a slide board so called, because it slides in and out of its position in the channel made for the purpose. They can be set near when but a small quantity of clothes is to be washed and set back when more room is wanted. The

grooves in which these end boards or slide boards are set are marked E.

he bor; containing the clothes while they are' being washed must be covered. For this purpose thereis a tin or sheet iron cover generally used.V This cover is not here represented. It may be made of any shape.

The boX in which the clothes are pressed must be made strong.V it is generally connected with the other part of the machine by a tube or pipe of which see longitudinal section at Fig. 5, L. The fragment A, Fig. 5, is part of the frame of the washing machine. This pipe, seen also at L, Fig. 2, is for admitting the water from the press `to the washing trough.

'.frame, inside the outer frame work to enable it to sustain the pressure. The outer frame-see plan, Fig. i-is marked S. The inner one C. The part in ligure marked Z2 is movable from end to end. Tt is in the' shape of a box and has upon the bottom a rack U, in which plays a pinion V, the shaft of which passes across the press from side to side. Upon this shaft outside is a cogwheel W which is driven by a smaller cogwheel X which being turned by the crank Y drives the moving press b to either end with great force.

Fig. l is an end elevation of the machine; Fig. 2, an inside side elevation; Fig. 3, a side elevation of the press. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the washing machine, without the covers, and of the press, closed up; Fig. 4, a plan of the clothes press; Fig. 5, end view of the same.

The' same letters refer to the same things in all the drawings.

A and B, the frame; C, the beaters; D, the arms which are hinged at top; E, the boards at the ends of the washing trough, which are movable; F, the segment racks upon the arms; G, the cog wheel which acts in them and causes the vibration of the beaters; H, vertical shaft attached to the wheel G; I, the straps connected with the treadles; K, the drum upon the shaft H; L, a passage to admit into the washing trough the water from the pressed clothes" see Fig. 2; M, a nut on the bottom of the shaft H; N, a beam across the uprights; O, the treadles; P, points where they are attached; R, semicircular cuts in the arms; S, frame of the press; U, rack in the moving press; T, perforations to admit passage for beaters; V, pinion moving the rack; W, cog Wheel outside; X, Plate II, a pinion matching in W; X', Plate III, the cross beam at top of the machine; Y, crank by which the press is Worked; Z, its handles.

The manner of the operation of this machine is simple. The clothes are put into the Washing box With boiling hot Water and soap and shut up by means of the covers. The beaters are then vibrated by means of the handles CZ at top or the treadles O-or by bolt-until the clothes are Washed. They are then removed to the press, which is closed tight by a lid. The clothes being shut in, the crank Y is turned until the Water is suficiently pressed out from the clothes.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent isl. The combination of the' upright shaft H with handles on the top-and segment 20 -ing tub united by the tube L as above de- 25 scribed.

JONATHAN READ.

Signed in presence of us: OWEN G. MORRIS, WILLIAM MARSH. 

